Page 55 of Her Goal
“I mean, he gets it. His power pulls are precise and the mechanics of his mohawk turns are solid. The guy can hold his edges.”
“How about laywoman’s terms? I only recently made it across the rink without bruising my butt,” Jess says.
“I think Leah’s saying she likes the way Robo moves.”
I scowl as I sink my teeth into a cinnamon butterscotch chip scone.
“How are the wedding plans coming?” Jess asks.
I gawk. “There won’t be a wedding of any sort.”
“The rumors are true? Robo asked you to marry him?” Delaney flurries in on a gust of ever-crisper autumn air.
Cara asks, “Didn’t you once have a crush on him?”
“That was Hunter.” I pout. “Cara, I thought you and I were best friends.”
Jess taps the air. “I thought it was the other brother.”
“There’s another Robo?” Emerson peels off her coat.
“Not you, too.” I cover my face with my hand.
Emerson asks, “Is he single?”
“What about Jett?”
“Until he puts a ring on it …” She wiggles her fingers.
“That’s a terrible personal policy.”
She pretends to slam dunk a basketball … among a bunch of hockey wives. “I don’t make the rules. I’m just available until he decides to make me a married woman. Unless he doesn’t …” She trails off and I make a mental note to discuss Jett with her later.
Waving my hands like I’m calling off a wedding, I say, “Listen. This is a fiasco.”
“The real dilemma is what kind of cake you’re going to have. I know, it’s the plight of brides everywhere. Sorry I’m late.” Margo sits down on the floor with a mug of tea.
“If this gets back to Mrs. Gormely …”
Whit says, “She already knows. Mr. Gormely asked me about it when we were adding a banner for the Milk Mustache to the back of the trolley the other day. Nancy Linderberg is wondering if this means you’re canceling the Happy Hockey Days event next January.”
“Absolutely not. There is no—” But I’m afraid if I finish that sentence with the wordwedding,I’ll mess something upfor Hudson’s career or my parents. This needs to be handled carefully, preferably with a PR professional. I’ll talk to Chuck.
Gracie, a sucker for love stories even though she’s married to her very own knight in shining armor, leans in expectantly. “So tell us about this high school crush.”
They pester me until I break. And I can’t eat any more cookies, otherwise I’m going to have a blood sugar attack, so I say, “There’s not much of a story. Growing up, I was best friends with Hunter Roboveitchek.”
Ella bunches up her shoulders. “Aw. Young love? It started all the way back then?”
Cara corrects, “No, she’s talking about Robo’s twin, Hunter.”
“Are they identical twins?” Emerson asks.
“They were close enough,” Heidi says.
The more I think about it, the more distinctions I see between the two of them, at least in my memory.
“Had you asked me at the time, I would’ve adamantly denied the crush, especially when I learned it was unrequited.”
